Heat exchanger with improved condensate disposal arrangement

ABSTRACT

A plate-finned coil unit diverges upwardly from the drain pan at an angle of less than 45* in the direction of the airflow. The lower end of the coil terminates in the pan in close spaced relation to an end wall thereof. The pan has a top wall extending from that end wall toward the lower end of the coil. This arrangement provides a sump for the collection of condensate from the coil when the fan coil unit is installed in either the vertical or horizontal position.

United States Paten Inventor AppL No. Filed Patented Assignee IsaacBerger Hacienda Heights, Callfl 859.472

Sept. 19. 1969 Aug. 3. 1971 Carrier Corporation Syracuse, NY.

HEAT EXCHANGER WITH IMPROVED CONDENSATE DISPOSAL ARRANGEMENT ll Claim, 3Drawing Figs. LLS. Cl 62/235, 62/286. 62/291 llnt.Cl. lFZScl 21/14 Fieldof Search 62/285. 286, 291

[56] llelereneee fillecl UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,744,393 5/l956 Brugler62/285 2,822,674 2/1958 5lmmens.. 62/291 2,899,803 8/l959 Paley 62/2913.299.660 1/1967 Sullivan 62/285 3,306,070 2/l96'7 Herb 62/285 PrimaryExaminer williarn J. Wye Almrneys- Harry (1. Martin and .l. RaymondCurtin ABSTRACT: A pletc-finnecl coll unit diverges upwardly from thedrain pen m an angle of lean than 45 in the direction of the airflow.The lower end of the coil terminates in the pan in close spaced relationto an end well thereof. The pen has a top wall extending from that endwall toward the lower end of the coil. This arrangement provides a sumpfor the collection of condensate from the coil when the fan coil unit isinstalled in either the vertical or horizontal peel/lion.

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. .-i I ii I l INVENTOR. ISAAC BERGER. BY Q ATTORNEY.

HEAT EXCHANGER WI'II'I IMPROVED CONDENSATE DISPOSAL ARRANGEMENTBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Fan coil units are used as evaporators inair conditioning systems, especially in domestic installations fordispensing chilled air into room areas. Generally. fan coil units areinstalled in horizontal position. Such units include a coil positionedin a sheet metal cabinet which also contains a blower or the like forcreating an airflow through the coil which is supplied with refrigerantor chilled water. A drain pan is arranged below the coil to collectcondensation therefrom.

in some instances, it is desirable to install the fan coil unit invertical position to better provide for the connection of ductwork tothe unit. At present, it is the custom to manufacture and stock theunits in two types, one for horizontal mounting and the other forvertical mounting. In lieu of stocking two types of complete fan coilunits, two different types of drain pans may be produced for assemblyinto the units on order to provide a desired type of unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION direction of the airflow from the fan. Thelower end of the coil terminates adjacent one end of the pan which isformed with a top wall extending from that end toward the pan wherebythe unit, including the pan, is installed in vertical position. A sumpis provided for collecting the condensation from the coil.

' BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINCifi FIG. ii is a view illustrating thefan coil unit in horizontal position with a sidewall of the cabinet andthe drain pan removed;

H6. 2 is a sectional view taken on line li-li of FIG. I; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating the unit in verticalposition.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The unit comprises an open-endedcabinet having a bottom wall 10, sidewalls 11, and a top wall 12.Conventionally, insu lating material 13 is attached to the innersurfaces of the cabinet walls. A motor-driven blower fan 15 is mountedin one end of the cabinet and is effective to create an airflow in adirection lengthwise through the cabinet.

A fan coil unit 1'7 is mounted in the cabinet intermediate the fan 15and the opposite end of the cabinet. The coil unit con sists of amultiplicity of tubes extending transversely of the cabinet andconnected at their ends by headers 21. A series of thin metallic plates23 are apertured for mounting on the tubes 20 to effectively increasethe heat transfer. The coil unit 17 is supported in the cabinet bybrackets 2"! and inclines up wardly from a drain pan mounted in thecabinet contiguous to the bottom wall it). The inclination of the coilunit 1'? is less than 45 to the cabinet bottom wall 10. This inclinationof the coil unit is advantageous in that the height of the unit, whenmounted horizontally, is minimized which allows installation of the unitin sofi'it areas over living spaces with no additional overall height insingle or multiple-story buildings. Another advantage in mounting thecoil unit ii? at an angle of less than 45 to the cabinet wall lit) isthat when the unit is mounted in vertical position as shown in FIG. 3,the moisture will gravitate down the tin plates 23 without dripping offthe unit, and the moisture will be discharged into the drain pan 30.

The lower end of the fan coil unit terminates in the drain pan .30adjacent the end wall 33 of the pan. The pan is also formed with atopwall 35 which extends from the end wall 33 toward the lower end of thecoil unit 1'7. (See FIG. 11.) With this arrangement, when the unit ismounted vertically as in FIG. 3. the top wall at then in verticalposition forms in conjunction with the end wall Lid, and contiguousportion of the bottom wall 3'7 of the pan, a sump for the collection ofcondensate from the coil unit. As shown in FlCi. ll, this sump por tionof the pan is formed with a primary drainage outlet located in proximityto the end wall 33 and the bottom wall 3'7. The pen is also formed witha secondary drainage outlet ill. The drainage outlets till, all areformed in a sidewall d3 of the pan.

The secondary outlet at is located in spaced relation to the end wall 33and in proximity to the inner edge of the top wall 35. Accordingly, thedrainage outlet dll is located above the outlet as with the unitdisposed horizontally as in Fit}. 1 and also above the drainage outletill when the unit is installed in vertical position (FIG. Ii). Theoutlets to, il are connected to a suitable drain and the outlet ll isconnected in such manner that any drainage from it is visible and servesas an indication that the primary drain d0 has become plugged. Thisarrange ment is of importance in view of the fact that these fan coilunits are often mounted in ceiling structures in homes, and it isaccordingly important that the sump portion of the pan does notoverflow.

Iclnim:

ii. A fan coil structure for use in air conditioning systems comprisinga cabinet open at the ends and having bottom, side, and top walls; meansfor creating an airflow through said cabinet from end to end; a drainpan mounted in said cabinet contiguous to the bottom wall thereof andextending in a direction lengthwise of the cabinet, said pan beingformed with bottom. side, and end walls; a plate-finned coil unitmounted above said drain pan and inclining upwardly therefrom at anangle of less than to the horizontal and in the direction of saidairflow. the lower end of said coil unit terminnting in said pan andspaced in proximity to one end wall thereof, said pan having a top wallextending outwardly from the upper edge of said one end wall along theupper edges of said sidewalls toward the lower end of said coil andforming in conjunction with the contiguous portions of the pan adrainage sump portion when said cabinet is disposed in verticalposition; and a drain aperture formed in said sump portion contiguous tothe bottom wall of said pan and said one end wall thereof. and a seconddrain aperture located in a sidewall of said pan in proximity to theouter edge of said top wall.

1. A fan coil structure for use in air-conditioning systems comprising acabinet open at the ends and having bottom, side, and top walls; meansfor creating an airflow through said cabinet from end to end; a drainpan mounted in said cabinet contiguous to the bottom wall thereof andextending in a direction lengthwise of the cabinet, said pan beingformed with bottom, side, and end walls; a plate-finned coil unitmounted above said drain pan and inclining upwardly therefrom at anangle of less than 45* to the horizontal and in the direction of saidairflow, the lower end of said coil unit terminating in said pan andspaced in proximity to one end wall thereof, said pan having a top wallextending outwardly from the upper edge of said one end wall along theupper edges of said sidewalls toward the lower end of said coil andforming in conjunction with the contiguous portions of the pan adrainage sump portion when said cabinet is disposed in verticalposition; and a drain aperture formed in said sump portion contiguous tothe bottom wall of said pan and said one end wall thereof, and a seconddrain aperture located in a sidewall of said pan in proximity to theouter edge of said top wall.